Road Trip
by Usher
Summary: Jubilee and Logan and their little Road trips. Chap. V, Interlude...again, another short while I try to get the next installment done
1. Hells Angels

Jubilee thundered down the stairs, struggling to get her leather jacket on.

"Get a move on, Jubes! I'm not gonna wait forever!" Logan shouted from the door, hiding a smirk.

"Keep your shirt on, Wolvie!" she shouted, waving her boot in her hand. "Jeeze, you give a girl only five minutes to get up and dressed and you expect her to be ready!" she pulled on her boot and zipped it up, pulling her leathers down over it.

Logan threw her helmet at her and got on his bike, firing it up.

"Where are we going, anyhow?" She shouted as they accelerated down the highway.

"Dunno." He shouted back, gunning the throttle. Jubilee grinned, her head pressed against his leather jacket.

Logan was grinning behind his own visor. He'd missed the little tear away while she was at school.

The sheriff's eyes narrowed as the sound of a powerful motorbike reached his ears. Shaking his head at his deputy, he reached out and grabbed his gun belt, strapping it on.

"Damned Hells Angels." He growled, grabbing his hat and stomping to the door. He spotted the bike outside the diner and walked over, preparing himself for a fight.

"Who owns the bike outside." He called out when he walked inside, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darker light.

"Um…that would be me…I mean, Logan. He's using the rest room." A young Asian girl with bright blue eyes blinked up at him, and she was the only other person there, save for the waitress. "Is there a problem? Is it the bike? I told him he shouldn't park there, but he wouldn't listen. Said it would be fine." She shook her head and put down the cup of coffee she had just taken from the waitress. "I'll get him to move it. Sorry."

"That's ok, kid. I thought you were Hells Angels…we've had a bit of trouble with them lately…you aren't, are you?"

Jubilee shook her head and smiled. "Nah. Family would kill me." She gestured to the seat in front of her. "Though they probably wouldn't be surprised." She sniggered, unzipping her jacket and putting it down beside her.

"My name is Eric Fry. You're not from around here, are you?" He asked, taking off his hat and smiling up at the waitress as she poured him a cup of coffee. "Thanks, Lola."

"Nah. We're from New York…well…Logan is…and I was…but I go to school in Salem…but I'm originally from LA…and Logan's from Canada…kind of…" she rambled.

"Every thing ok here?" Logan growled as he came up behind Jubilee, ready for a fight. Jubilee twisted around in the booth and smiled.

"He thought we were Hells Angels 'cos of your Hog. They've been having trouble with them." She moved over to let him sit down and handed him the menu, saying "I've already ordered you a steak. Rare."

"You remembered?" He sounded surprised and she rolled her eyes.

"Wolvie, you've ordered the same damn thing for the last week. For breakfast, lunch an dinner…of course I bloody well remembered!"

"you've been on the road a week?" Fry asked, nodding to Lola as she held up the menu, pointing to his normal meal.

"Give or take a few days." Jubilee yawned, stretching her back. "Summer holidays. He promised to take me away on a whirlwind adventure. So far, all I've seen is road kill."

"And the largest ball of twine." Logan muttered.

"And the largest ball of twine. Ooh oh! And that guy who flashed me in Hope and Glory."

Logan's head snapped around to stare at her. "You never told me that!" He protested angrily.

Jubilee shrugged, her cheeks blushing. "You were getting the bike fixed. It wasn't exactly a big deal…really…quite small, really. Seen bigger."

Fry sat back and watched the play of expressions on Logan's face.

"Jubilee, I am going to ask you this question, and I want you to answer me truthfully. When exactly have you seen bigger?" He asked carefully, his voice slightly strained.

"Well, remember that time when Bobby started playing with Hank's solution…the one that dissolves fabric…and he tripped in the lab…and it got sprayed on Scott, Hank and Remy, and all down Bobby's front…I was there…it was funny, really. Who knew that about Scott? And then there was the time that Angelo sleep walked out into the halls…didja know he sleeps naked? And then there was the time when Everett decided to go for a moonlight swim in the pool, in the nuddy…me an' Paige nicked his clothes." A sly smile crossed her face as she remembered a very embarrassed Everett running from bush to bush back to the School. "Don't worry, Wolvie, I'm as pure as the day you met me. I'm still jail bait!" she exclaimed as Lola put the plates down in front of them.

"Tell me you're eating more than that." Logan growled, seeing the small salad in front of her.

"I'm not that hungry."

Logan shook his head. "Miss, bring a plate of that roast chicken with all the trimmings. You've been eating like a goddamned sparrow all week, Jubes. You don't need to eat like that. You're small enough as it is."

She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it with a snap when he began to growl and she saw the look Fry was giving her.

"I'm gonna use the rest room." She muttered, shoving Logan out of the way.

"Damned supermodels. Give kids bad ideas." Logan growled, cutting into his dinner.

Fry nodded. "I know. I got a niece about the same age as her. Always on some goddamned new fad diet. Last one was eating nothing but white food." He rolled his eyes, stirring his spaghetti around his plate. "She looks fine to me."

"Seems like a nice quiet place you got here." Logan murmured as they waited for Jubilee's new meal.

"It is. Except when the Hells Angels come around. Last week, they put out most of the windows along the main street. And then tried to set fire to the library, tried to carry off the Librarian. They've been tearing around the County causin' trouble everywhere…"

"They still around?"

"I don't know. I'm just waiting for them to come back and cause more trouble."

"You got much back up here?" Logan cocked his head to the side as Fry shook his head.

"Not really. There's four of us. We're all on call 24 7, but we need to sleep some times. If things get real bad, we can call in help from the neighbouring towns and the State Troopers have offered their services. But it takes 'em a while to get here, so by the time the Angels are gone, they're arriving usually."

"I'll be back in a minute." Logan stood up and walked to the rest rooms. He came back with his arm slung around Jubilee's shoulder.

"How do you guys feel about mutants?" Jubilee asked brightly, cutting up her chicken.

"As long as they're not hurting anybody, I don't give a damn." Fry muttered, wondering what was going on. "Some people around here are mutants. Lola, for instance. If she touches a plant, she can get it to grow real fast."

"Jubes and me, we're staying around here for a while. If the Hells Angels come back while we're here, I'm offering my services."

"And mine." Jubilee's legs were swinging as she stuffed a fork full of meat into her mouth.

"You want to help?" Fry asked, sitting back in the booth. Jubilee nodded, taking a sip from her straw.

"Yup. Logan's good to have on your side in a fight."

"Let me guess, you guys are mutants?" Fry asked quietly. Logan nodded and let an inch or so of metal claws to slide out of his knuckles.

"I've been known to win a bar brawl or two." He admitted quietly.

"On his own…against the rest of the bar." Jubilee butted in dryly, trying to hide some of the chicken beneath a napkin.

Logan shrugged noncommittally as he leaned forwards and put some of his steak onto the plate.

Fry almost laughed at the power play going on between the two of them. Both were obviously used to getting their way, and it was definitely nothing new between the two.

"So, you guys obviously aren't related, but how'd you get to know each other?"

Jubilee and Logan shared a look.

"Kid saved my life a few years ago." Logan growled, turning his attention back to his dinner.

"And then he saved mine by giving me a home and a new family." Jubilee countered, taking the chicken back from under the napkin and putting the steak back on his plate. "Which, considering how annoying I can get, was a really nice thing to do. So, do you want our help or what?"

Fry's eyes went distant as he thought about what he was being offered. Logan let him alone with his thoughts, continuing the battle to get Jubilee to finish her dinner.

"I don't know what's come over me, but thank you. We would appreciate it. But the kid's not to get involved, ok? She's too young and I won't have her getting hurt on my conscience."

Logan nodded, ignoring Jubilee' protests. "Sure. Sounds good to me." He reached out and pinched Jubilee's lips shut with two fingers. "Shuddup, kid. If I bring you back with so much as a scratch on ya, whaddya think Jean and Frost would do to me? Or Scott? Hank? Chuck himself? I was told I could bring you on this trip, _provided_ nothing happens. And if you do get hurt, that'd put paid to us going up to Canada for Christmas."

Jubilee humphed and sat back with a pout, her arms crossed tightly. "Man, they spoil all my fun. So, any nice digs around here?"

"This place is nice." Jubilee murmured through the connecting door between their two rooms. Hers was bright and airy with a TV in the corner…with Satelite TV.

"It will do." Logan growled, throwing his bag into the closet. "About what I said, it was just to keep him happy. You see something going down and I can't handle it, wade in like you usually do." He gave a small smile as she grinned impishly at him.

"Was planning on doing that anyway, Wolvie." She giggled, jumping onto the bed. "Gotta show those wannabe Hells Angels not to mess with honest folks." She kicked off her shoes and stretched. The last couple of nights they'd stayed in flea bitten motels and she was getting sick of having to let Logan check and see if she'd have company that night in the form of bed bugs.

"It's getting dark." Logan commented, drawing the curtains in her room.

"Want to check out the night life?" Jubilee said dryly, knowing that there was only one bar in the area.

"One horse town." Jubilee said softly, only loud enough for Logan's sensitive hearing. He nodded slightly, eyeing up what was around. Three old men were drinking in the corner, and two men that were young enough to fight were at the bar.

"Does it get busy around here?" He asked the waitress casually as she brought them their drinks. The woman shook her head.

"Those are our regulars. Not many around here, you know. Mostly non drinkers as well. It might get busy on a Saturday night. I hope not."

"Hells Angels?" Logan asked dryly, nodding as she closed her eyes and nodded.

"They were in here last week. We've just got the bar back to the way it was." She sighed, taking his money. "Any more, just holler."

"Get under the table." Logan growled, his ears picking up the sound of approaching bikes. "Ma'am, you might want to give the Sheriff a shout. Angels on the loose." He murmured, taking off his coat and cracking his knuckles. They'd been hanging around for three days and Jubilee had started to get antsy until Fry had started teaching her how to shoot his gun.

"Only come out if it looks like I can't handle this on my own." He warned, grabbing her head and pushing it further under the table. Jubilee nodded and crept further into the shadows. She blinked as twelve well built men stomped inside and then swallowed a lump in her throat when she saw their tattoos. These weren't wannabe Angels. They were the real deal. Logan stayed where he was, seemingly preoccupied with his drink…at least until the first heavy grabbed one of the waitresses and tried to drag her out of the door. Logan stood up and sighed, cracking the bones in his neck as he rolled it around and stepped into the brighter light.

"Put the lady down." He growled, walking forwards.

The fight was going well until someone slammed him in the back with a crowbar. Jubilee winced as Logan swung his fist around and heard the bones in the man's face crack. And then the tide of the fight turned when one man produced a gun just as several more Hells Angels poured in the door.

Jubilee screamed loudly as the man calmly drilled bullets into Logan's chest. She darted out from beneath the table and ran straight for him, tears pouring down her face as she screamed out his name. The Hells Angels stared in silence as she knelt by him, running her hands over his chest, trying to stem the flow of blood.

"NO!" She screamed. His eyes were glazed and she felt at his neck for a pulse, finding none. With wild eyes, she turned around, her now bloody hands blazing with her power.

"You killed him!" She screamed madly, her hands and eyes flaring blue. As Fry ran in the door with reinforcements from neighbouring towns, she was trapped between two men. A brief hesitation was all it took for one man to hit her over the head with a bottle. The man in front of her took the opportunity to thrust the broken pool cue into her chest. Jubilee dropped to her knees, looking down at the wood protruding from her top in a widening pool of red. She looked over at Wolverine and slowly crept over to him, ignoring the manic fight going on around her. When she reached him, she put her head down on his chest and held one of his hands in her own, cupping his cheek with the other.

There was a wail of sirens in the distance as the last Biker was brought down and Fry finally had a chance to look around him. Several of the law enforcers, various state troopers and deputy's were nursing minor wounds, with one or two having slightly more serious wounds. A deputy from the neighbouring town ran inside, shouting that there were ambulances on their way as well as an Air Ambulance.

Fry was listening to his deputy when his eyes lit on the two heaps in the corner. He ran forwards, slowing to a stop when he saw the pool of blood surrounding the two.

"Jubilee, is he ok?" He asked, going down on one knee and putting his hand on her shoulder. When she didn't move, he turned her over and shouted out for help.

Emma gratefully kicked off her high pumps as she sat down on the sofa at the Xavier Institute in Westchester. It had been a long day. Opposite her, Jean and Scott were sitting with their eyes closed as Jean nursed a migraine. Thanks to their telepathic link, Scott had a mild headache too. Charles and Hank sat in the corner attempting to finish the game of chess that had now been going on for nearly three weeks. Emma grinned as Sean carefully began to massage her foot and she sighed happily.

"Better, lass?" He crooned in his Irish brogue. She nodded wordlessly.

"Do you know, I'd rather go head to head with Magneto and Juggernaught than with Accountants. At least Drake is on my side." She groaned as he found the pressure point that made her melt.

"Thanks, Em." Bobby muttered, loosening his tie and taking a swig from a bottle of beer out of Logan's 'hidden' stash.

"Any time, Drake. You are saving me millions." She shot up, jerking her foot out of Sean's grasp, giving a small cry. Jean's eyes snapped open and she half-fell from the sofa, clutching at her head as Charles mimicked her actions, shouting out Jubilee's name.

"Professor…what is wrong?" Hank asked, leaning forwards to stop him from tumbling from his chair.

"Something's wrong…" He murmured, shaking his head to try to clear the pain.

"Logan…" Jean whispered.

"He's dead." Emma finished. "Jubilee…her grief…"

"Jubilee's projecting her grief onto the psi plane." Charles explained quietly as he began to recover, his face pale.

"Where are they?" Bobby asked carefully.

"No Hope. A place called No Hope."

Remy carefully guided the jet up into the air as the others behind him tried to deal with their grief over Logan's death.

"Are you sure you can't feel him?" Scott asked, looking for final assurance that Logan was dead. Jean shook her head. "I can't find him, Scott. He might be still alive, but if he is, he's in a deep coma." She suddenly shot to her feet again as Charles and Emma clutched at their heads.

"What is it?" Remy's head snapped around and he stuck the plane onto autopilot.

"So much pain…." Emma murmured. "Jubilee…" her eyes widened. "It's gone…the pain is gone…no…oh, no."

After a few minutes, Bobby finally managed to speak. "She might still be alive, though, right? You said you can't tell whether or not they are dead. She might be unconscious, or in a coma. Or just hidden…"

Fry looked up tiredly at the sound of a car pulling up outside the building. A strange group of people walked in, their faces strained.

"How can I help you?" He asked flatly, looking up at the clock. He had hoped to be gone to the hospital by now.

"We are looking for two friends of ours. We know they were here, but…" Jean broke off trying not to sound like she was going to cry.

"We're not sure if they are still here." Scott continued on, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly. "We think they might have been injured…"

"A lot of people were injured here yesterday." Fry muttered, sitting back down. "A bunch of Hells Angels decided they wanted to take one of the waitresses from the local bar. We had to get reinforcements from neighbouring towns and some State Troopers to help us."

"These weren't Hells Angels…" A tall black woman with snow white hair stepped forwards. "One was just a girl, she is fifteen, Asian. The other is about six foot tall, quite heavily built…"

"Logan and Jubilee?" Fry murmured, rubbing his face as he nodded.

Jean nodded, sensing the pain and weariness flooding from him. "Yes…have you seen them?"

"I'm just about to go out the door to see them. They were involved in that fight last night. If it wasn't for them, that poor woman would be god only knows in what state."

Jean sagged with relief. "They are still alive?" She breathed, having to sit down when Fry nodded again. She started to cry with relief, gripping Scott's hand tightly as it rested on her shoulder. He himself turned away from everyone, his head hanging low.

"What happened to them? I felt…we felt their pain from Westchester…" Emma demanded to know.

"Logan was shot nearly a dozen times in the chest. That's when the kid came out from under the table where he'd put her. She was holding her own until she got hit over the head with a bottle and…well, she's not doing so good. She got stabbed with a snooker cue. She hasn't woken up yet. Neither has Logan, but his wounds are starting to heal by themselves, and the doctors said that that's a good sign. I explained to them about his healing factor. They've replaced the blood he's lost and they are just leaving his body to it. They're afraid to disturb him. I spent most the night at the hospital with him, but I had to come back to deal with the paperwork those bastards have racked up. They were brought straight to the city jail. We aren't the only one's they've racked up offences with. They are wanted in four more counties and at least sixteen different towns. They won't be getting out any time soon."

Jean stopped at the door to Jubilee's room, her hand firmly pressed to her mouth. "Scott…"

"She's going to be ok, Jean." He murmured, urging her forwards, deathly afraid he was lying to his wife. Jubilee looked bad. She was hooked up to so many machines, with tubes going in and out of her, draining fluids and replacing them. As Jean stood beside the bed, the doctor approached Hank and Scott and introduced himself.

"How bad is it?" Scott asked.

"The wood entered her at an angle, puncturing her lung. Several splinters were millimetres away from her heart…two actually penetrated it. We have repaired the damage that was done as best we can. Her head, on the other hand is another matter. She has a fractured skull. Several splinters of bone did penetrate her brain cavity…and I cannot promise that she will wake up, either soon or at all." He said gravely. "If there is anyone to be notified, I would do so, and quite soon. There is only a slim chance she will recover."

"The kid…" Ororo looked up from where she sat by his bed and stood, leaning over him.

"Logan."

"Storm…the kid…" He said thickly, his eyes blinking in the light. "Where is she? Why isn't she here?"

Storm looked down at the sheet, unwilling to meet his eyes. "Logan…she is very badly hurt." She said softly, pressing him back against the sheets. "As are you. You must keep still. Your body is finding it difficult to repair you."

"Don't...care." he growled with a wheeze, coughing slightly. He threw the sheet aside and struggled to get up, having to brace himself as the room span. "Want…need to see her…"

"Bobby get a wheelchair." Ororo ordered crisply as she tried to support his weight. A few minutes later, they wheeled him into the room holding most of the X-men team, clustered around the bedside.

"Logan…" Scott trailed off, swallowing convulsively. Logan nodded, siginifying that no words were needed. Ororo brought him to the side of the bed, and he reached out with a wince to take her limp hand.

"I tried to protect her." He growled softly. "I told her to stay under the table…"

"When you were shot, she stood over your body and fought them off for a time." Jean murmured from her place at the other side of the bed. "Logan…the doctors don't think she is going to make it…"

Logan nodded, his eyes closed. He could smell the imminent death in the room.

"I know, Jean…I can smell it in the air. He's comin' fer her an' there's nothin' we can do…but wait and see. This is her battle…"

"How long has he been sitting there?" The doctor asked the nurse as they peered in the glass window in the door.

"Three days now. Since he woke up. He won't move. We've tried…"

"At least she's looking better." The doctor looked over the chart carefully. "All her Stat's are up."

Jubilee clutched at Logan's hand fearfully as she jolted out of her dream, a shooting pain rushing through her chest.

"Easy, kid. Easy. Yer ok. Yer gonna be ok."

He watched her eyes widen, and she slowly turned her head until she was looking at him, and wonder filled her face.

"Wo…ali…" She stammered fearfully, and he raised her hand to brush it along his stubble.

"I'm alive, kid. An' so are you, even though you gave us a bit of a fright.

"No…pulse…dead." She whispered, still slightly disbelieving.

"It takes more than a couple of bullets to kill me, sweetheart. But about our trip to Canada…"


	2. Playback

_****_

This is just a short…um…very short short if you get me. Hope you enjoy ; )

Scott sighed heavily with content as he exited the elevator doors on the ground floor of the mansion. The others were doing the final post flight checks on the blackbird, and had graciously told him to get out of their hair. Which he had absaloutely no problem doing. Usually he was the last one to leave the lower levels after a mission, hashing over the finer details, trying to work out what went wrong…where could they have done better.

But this mission went well. This mission couldn't have gone any better, to be honest. Logan wasn't there. That was what he was putting it down to. That kid, Angelo, had gotten it right when he said that Logan was strife. Or at least, attracted strife. He and Jubilee had taken off a few days before, just before this new mission had come up. And if Logan wasn't there, then there was no one to countermand his orders. No one to second guess him. No one to blatantly ignore his orders and go off half-cocked and end them up in a whole heap of trouble.

A small voice in his head sounded up as he entered the kitchen telling him that it usually wasn't Logan's fault, and that he was usually right when he took off, and that he had saved Scott and the team more times than he cared to remember, but he quickly stomped it down and turned on the coffee maker.

A flashing light caught his eye, and the answering machine showed multiple messages. They'd only been gone three days…how many people could have wanted them?

Pressing the playback button, he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen counter, pen poised, ready to take down the messages.

_/First Message received 3__rd__ June at 19.34…beep!/_

/Whoever is listening to this, it's Jubilee. Uuuuh…if you could manage it, would you phone Logan's cell phone? I've kind of lost him, and he's got my cell phone and I can't remember his number. It's not my fault, but we got separated in a bar braw- uh…in a bar…uh, forget I said bar. Um…just phone him and tell him that I'm standing outside the Bitter Oyster Bar and that he'd better come and get me-**_silence-_** never mind. I got him. Wolvie! Put him down! See you later…or in a few weeks. Bye./

Scott tapped the pen against the paper nervously, a feeling of dread creeping over him.

/_Second Message received 3__rd__ June at 20.45…beep!/_

/**_sound of heavy breathing_** Scott! Or whoever is playing this, would you pick up the fricking phone! I'm kinda in a bit of trouble right now! Oh…it's Jubilee by the way. I'm being chased by some guys with _really_ scary looking baseball bats and I'm kind of running out of street to run on. Logan's not answering his cellphone and yes, I know, I shouldn't have kicked that guy in the nuts, but he was asking for it! Damnit, I guess I'm on my own now…/

/_Third Message received 3__rd__ June at 21.03…beep!/_

/Scott, it's Jubilee. Say, you wouldn't just erase the last message and forget it happened. 'Cos nothing happened. I'm fine, Logan's fine…we've um, regrouped, as it were and we're going to hit the road. This town is dullsville. Gotta go, Logan's starting to growl. Have a nice weekend!/

/_Fourth Message received 4__th__ June at 03.25…beep!_/

/It's Logan. You need to send a cheque for 800 bucks, Canadian, to a Ms. Nancy Blake, 5647 Mercury Drive, Ottawa. We kinda dinged her car. Stupid woman was driving without her headlights on and she's screaming blue murder about how we were in the wrong. Don't really wanna attract police attention, so just send the cheque, ok?/

/_Fifth Message received 4__th__ June at 23.18…beep!/_

/Did any one of you guys ever tell Jubilee that chocolate liqueur's contain alcohol? She's polished off the best part of two boxes! And answer the damned phone **_sound of off-key singing in the background_** Damned kid can't hold her alcohol. Jubes, don't you even think of-/

/_Sixth Message received 5__th__ June at 07.34…beep!/_

/God, I don't feel good…Jean, what's a good thing for a hangover. Apparently I got one. My head is splitting and…light's waaay too bright. Come back sugar rush, all is forgiven. Oh yeah, that's not what I'm phoning for. You need to go to the Professor's office, find the documents that show that Wolvie is my legal guardian and fax them to the Petawawa..wawa…Police Department. Apparently I may have inadvertently purchased chocolate liqueurs instead of normal chocolate and gotten a tad drunk last night…long story short, Logan's in jail and I'm in protective custody. Totally not my fault.-/

/_Seventh Message received 5__th__ June at 07.45…beep!/_

/This is Officer Jean Leosae of the Petawa Police Department. I would really appreciate you contacting us as soon as possible with regards to the minor, Miss Jubilation Lee who is in our custody at the moment. She says that you are listed as one of her guardians, and we are not comfortable with releasing her back into the custody of Mr. Logan Wolverine. He has become slightly threatening towards her, voicing threats of violence that, quite frankly, have raised my concerns and that of Social Welfare. Miss Lee appears to be quite comfortable with the threats, which also worries me…please just contact me as soon as you get this message./

When Jean entered the kitchen, she found Scott slowly banging his forehead against the worktop, a broken pencil in his hand. And she instantly knew, if not what, but who was wrong.


	3. What's a Lolita?

_I'm messing with things to make them my own way, so a virtual stuck out tongue to those of you who don't like it. My story, my rules, my changes…THEIR CHARACTERS…unfortunately… _

Jubilee looked at the Professor with wide eyes and a small smile, her hand going unconsciously to the small round scar in the middle of her chest, barely visible behind the high V of her t-shirt. That very act almost made him reconsider, as much as it made his heart break at the memory of the child lying so still on the hospital bed, the Angel of Death waiting to take her to the next life, even as her very own guardian angel in the shape of a gruff Canadian Mutant with homicidal tendencies hovered by her bedside, warding away death in his unending vigil.

"You mean we can really go? You're letting us go? You. Are sending us, being me and Logan, on a mission. On our own. To the other side of the country. Without supervision…?"

The joy that shone in her eyes brought an amused smile to his face and he nodded. "Yes, Jubilation, you can go. And I believe that this time none of us will be foolish enough to tempt the fates by saying 'don't get in trouble'. You can do enough trouble without calling them down on you like that."

The smile faded slightly from her eyes and she ducked her head sheepishly. "Yeah…Angelo says that I attract trouble, an' Logan attracts strife, and when you put us together, you get a booom." She gave a small chuckle and looked at him up through her fringe.

"How very…apt. Trouble and Strife…with declarations like that, how could he have failed his last three English exams."

Jubilee sat in the convertible that Logan had rented, drinking in the hot Californian sunshine. She'd missed it, and the smells that the Californian countryside brought. Sitting beside her, his hands tight on the wheel, Logan was trying very hard to control his temper, but the low growl that was building at the back of his throat showed that he wasn't doing very well.

"Wolvie, it's a Sunday driver. Either going to be a little old lady, or a little old man." She drew her knees up under her chin and smiled as the growl grew slightly and then died away.

"Sorry, kid. Just a little tense is all. I don't like the sounds of what we're getting into. Too many things have been going bump in the night in this area."

Jubilee's face went sober and she nodded. "I know, but we'll get to the bottom of it, I promise. Anyhow, cheer up. It's gonna take another few hours to get there, and this can be a mini-road trip for us, eh? Look, there's even some road kill. Now, if we could just find the World's Largest Donut and the Largest Wooden Trestle in the world." She reached into the glove box and found the guide book that had been provided with the rental car and began to flick through it.

Logan glanced over at her as she started to read, before darting out onto the opposite lane, gunning his engine and overtaking the slow poke – true to Jubilee's words, it was a little old man, hunched over the wheel.

"Kid, I ain't going to see no Wooden Trestle table." His eyebrows shot up when she absently replied "That's ok, Wolvie, I've got a place called World Exotica earmarked for you. All manner of strange and exotic creatures."

He blinked in surprise and eased off the gas pedal. "Uh, Jubes, you do know that's not a reptile farm, don't you?" The fact that he'd actually been there before didn't do anything to ease the sudden pounding of his heart.

"Striptease central? The only thing reptilian about that place is the lizard skin boots that Ms. Whistlin' Dixie wears."

Logan's knuckles tightened even more and a mantra began to run through is head. //I'm not gonna ask, I'm not gonna ask, I'm not gonna ask, I'm-// "How the flaming hell do you know that!"

Jubilee rolled her eyes, concealing her amused grin. "Well, you see, Angelo wanted to get a lizard. A Skink, or a geko, I think. I don't know, I can't remember which, but there's this place in Salem called World Exotica and they sell exotic pets, like parrots and reptiles and weird things you can't even put a name to. Angelo was grounded so he couldn't get to go, but me and Ev offered to pick one out for him if he could decide on what species to get. So he went onto the internet and typed in World Exotica. The look on his face was priceless when he brought up the wrong web page. Almost as good as when Emma was trying to teach Artie and Leech about wildlife using the computer and decided to use Beaver as her first animal. She clicked on the first link and nearly swallowed her tongue."

Logan's eyes were now wide as he wondered just what the hell was going on in that school.

"And do you know what was even better? She was using the beamer against the wall, so we all got to see. Then Sean grabbed the two boys and dragged them out of the room and Emma started cursing…good times, Wolvie. Good times. Of course, then they set the filters so nothing gets through now." She mused happily, lost in her own little world of amusing memories.

"Wake up, kid, we're here."

"Twine?" Jubilee mumbled sleepily, uncurling on the chair.

"No, kid, Sunnydale. Home of things that go bump in the night. C'mon and we'll get a motel room."

Jubilee fought to open her eyes properly and staggered out of the car and into the motel office, moving her sunglasses up onto the top of her hair as they got out of the bright sunshine.

"I need to get two adjoining rooms with a connecting door." Logan ordered grumpily at the clerk, who hurried to comply. Living in Sunnydale sometimes gave people a very good ability to work out whether they were going to die soon or not, and the clerk realised that Logan also had the ability to know if you were going to die soon or not. And that it all depended on his mood.

"Here you are sir, our two best rooms for yourself and your daughter. Please enjoy your stay and if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ring the front desk."

Logan gave a satisfied nod and Jubilee rolled her eyes before trailing out the door after him.

"Wolvie, why do people always think I'm your daughter?" she asked as they walked slowly down the hall to their rooms.

"Cos you are, kid." He muttered gruffly, "An' I guess with the same hair colour, they assume yer mine. Better than them thinking there's some kind of Lolita thing going on."

Jubilee's forehead creased and she looked at him strangely. "What's a Lolita thing?"

Five minutes later, she was dancing up and down, "Seriously, Wolvie, what's a Lolita thing? I wanna know! For cripes sake, I'm not a kid!"

"Yer thirteen and I'm not telling you. Ask Emma when you get back. I'm sure she'll be able to tell you all about it. Get yer jacket on, Jubes. We're heading out. I wanna see what the nightlife here is like."

To both of their surprise, the bouncer on the door of what seemed to be the only night club in the town didn't look twice at the obviously under age kid following Logan inside. Jubilee put it down to attitude. If you walked like you should be there, then they treated you like you should be there. No matter how short you were.

"Hey, Buffy, what's got two arms, two legs and looks like a double-bladed throwing axe laced in poison with spikes on the end of it?"

Buffy looked up at Xander curiously, trying to run through a list of demons in her mind.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" She asked finally. Xander shook his head and gestured mutely over the balcony at a man who had his back turned to them, ordering a drink at the near-empty bar.

"That guy just exudes danger. A bit like Angel, with less fangs." He pointed out needlessly. Already, Buffy's danger alert was on high.

"He does seem a bit tense." Buffy slipped off her stool and picked up her jacket. "I'm going to get a drink. Anyone want one?"

Willow nodded her head absently, lost in her own world. "That's fine." She mumbled, flicking the page of a science book. "Tomorrow would be great."

"Riiiight. Earth to Willow. Earth to Willow, come in?" Xander waved his hand in front of her face, startling her.

"What?!" She exclaimed, jerking back from the offending fingers.

"Danger at twelve..um…six…o'clock? Downstairs."

"Weird dude at the bar. Going to see what's up. You coming?" Buffy explained in short, easy to understand sentences. Sometimes Willow got so caught up in her studies that the only things she could understand was English for Beginners, or extremely complicated words in a style that even Giles had problems understanding.

"Weird guy?"

She followed their gaze down to the bar that was now empty.

"He must have gone back to his seat. I'll stay here in case he heads for the door or something." Willow sat in Buffy's chair and looked over the railing at the dance floor below.

"Just drink your beer, Logan. Apparently we're trouble and strife and both of them just come for us automatically, so if we simply sit and wait, what we are looking for should, theoretically come look for us." Jubilee pointed out brightly, using her straw to move the ice around her glass.

"Who told you we're trouble and strife?" Logan shrugged off his leather jacket and laid it on the chair next to him.

"Ange, Jono, Emma, Scott…I think the Beaster might have said it once or twice, um…Bobby…Remy…Arcangel…the Prof. agreed, Jean laughed…"

"Right, right, I get the picture." Logan sighed and massaged the back of his neck. Something was up. Something was definitely up. Things were too quiet in here, for all that it was a Wednesday night, there should be more people inside the joint. Beside him, Jubilee was thinking the same, and she unobtrusively pulled on her sunglasses, hiding her eyes as they darted around the room looking for the source of the bad feeling she was getting.

In the far corner, three people were drinking quietly. Cheerleaders from the looks of things. A boy and girl a good few years older than her came down the stairs to their right and headed straight for the bar. About ten feet away from them, a guy in a dodgy suit was sullenly nursing a glass of beer. The barman absently buffed a glass while he waited for the two that had come downstairs to make up their minds on what they wanted to drink…and that was about it. Nothing that screamed 'out of the ordinary' at either of them. Until a blonde haired man walked in through the front door from the darkness outside.

Jubilee's eyes narrowed immediately. She didn't need to have clairvoyance or telepathy to know that this guy was trouble. Short spiky bleach blonde hair over a thin, almost gaunt face topped off a lean, mean, fighting built body. So intent was she on following him with her eyes that she almost missed the low, dangerous growl that was building in Logan, who erupted suddenly when the man's scent finally made its way to the table. All six adamantium claws erupted from his hands as he let out a loud roar overturning the table and launching himself at the stranger who took a step back, his eyes widening. His face morphed and he muttered 'Shit.' just as Logan's hands wrapped around his throat.

Jubilee leapt to her feet, assuming a fighting stance, wondering just what was going to happen when the blonde's face suddenly turned from human and mean to something that was definitely not human, and a couple of big steps past 'what the hell is that'.

"What the hell is that!" Jubilee exclaimed as the two who had been at the bar ran up.

"I could ask you the same thing. Blondie is Spike." The boy murmured as the girl waded into the fray and pulled Logan from Spike, throwing him across the room. "Who's the other guy?"

"That's Logan…uh, Wolverine right now by the looks of things. Oh jeeze, he's so going to whup ass on your friend." Jubilee chewed at her lip. "And just what the hell is a 'spike'."

"Spike is…well, he's a vampire."

"Bad guy?"

"Not good. Definitely not good…but for the moment, not bad either. He's been chipped." Xander gave a satisfied laugh and then caught the kids confused expression. "He's had a chip put in him that means he can't hurt a human. Xander Harris." He stuck out his hand and Jubilee shook it absently, realising that the Vampire hadn't defended himself against Logan once.

"Jubilation Lee…who is your friend? She's doing quite well against Logan. Really well, actually." Jubilee winced as her friend and mentor crashed into a table, only to pick himself up and shake the splinters of wood out of his hair.

"Buffy is the Vampire Slayer. She's like…destined to hunt out and kill Vampires with uber strength and healing etc. But sometimes Spike is handy, so she lets him live…for the love of god, I don't know why, but she does. Plus, he's actually a pretty good fighter. Don't tell anyone I said that. How would you class yourselves? Good guys, bad guys, guys looking for a quick buck?"

"Protect humans and mutants and try to have fun while doing so." Jubilee retorted and realised that she'd been relegated to side-kick status once more. "What do you say that we stop this before it goes too far and one of our indestructible's either gets hurt or causes so much damage we'll never be able to pay for it?" She muttered, rolling up the sleeves of her coat and striding out onto the dance floor. She ducked two wild swings of Logan's claws before clamping her hand on his wrist, distracting him while Xander wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist and dragged her backwards, whispering urgently into her ear.

Jubilee danced out of Logan's way and caught sight of his eyes. This, was not good. He had gone almost completely feral on her and she could see the red rage had descended. Thinking quickly, she tore off her coat and wadded it into a ball, throwing it across his face, hoping that enough of her scent remained on it to drown out the vampires and hopefully return him to his senses.

"Get that Spike guy out of here!" She ordered as Logan ripped the coat from his face, the vampire scent too overwhelming. "Logan's got a pretty good sense of smell, and his scent is driving him nuts!"

Buffy looked at Xander, who shrugged and grabbed Spike by the collar, dragging him out of the Bronze.

"Right, kid, he's gone. Now what?"

"Turn up the A/C and throw me back over my coat. Looks like I'm gonna have to do this the hard way."

Upstairs, Willow waved an affirmative at Buffy and found the AC switch, flicking it on full.

Logan's head swung from side to side as he searched for the smell of the Souless one. To tear it limb from limb. The wrongness permeated the smell and he had to get rid of it to protect his little one. His cub…where was his cub. He couldn't smell her, but he knew she had been there…gotta find my cub…gotta find my cub…kill the soulless one…stop the rampage…

Buffy watched him close his eyes and lift his head, sniffing the air with a dangerous growl. Suddenly he snorted and blinked, and the growl turned into words. "Cub…find cub…kill the soulless one…protect…must protect cub…"

"Just what kind of a demon is this guy?" Despite knowing he wasn't a vampire, she searched in her jacket for a wooden stake and held it ready, just in case the guy went off again.

"The best kind." Jubilee quipped, circling Logan, waiting for the air to clear of scent.

"And that kind would be?" Buffy asked with a false brightness, wondering what kind of hell spawn she was dealing with now.

"My kind. The completely non-demonic, couple of DNA strands off yours kind. The completely human except for whatever mother nature decided to give us kind. You got blonde hair, blue eyes and a knack for killing vampires. I got black hair, blue eyes, fireworks that come from my hands and a knack for picking up grouchy old Canadian's who treat me like their long lost daughter. Come on, Wolvie, snap out of it. You're kind of creating a scene here."

Cub…gotta find cub…smells..wrong…fading…bad scent is fading...where's my cub…

Jubilee spotted her chance as Logan wavered for a moment, and she launched herself into his arms, sticking her neck against his nose. He breathed in a deep draught of her scent and dropped to his knees, hesitantly wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Atta boy, Wolvie. Jeeze, what would you do without me, eh?" Jubilee pulled back slightly to look at him, only to have him clamp her back against him, pressing his nose against her soft skin, relishing in the fact that his cub was safe and the soulless one was gone.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes while Xander, Buffy and Willow watched on in confusion until Jubilee realised that Wolverine was gone and only Logan remained. Pulling back from him, she cupped his still trembling face in her hands and kissed him tenderly on the nose, putting her forehead to his and resting it there for a moment.

"You back with me?" She asked softly, and he nodded mutely, reaching up to hold her wrists in place.

"Yeah, kid…I don't…I don't know what came over me." Jubilee shrugged to show she didn't know either, and slowly got back to her feet, tugging him to his.

"I think I can answer that." Xander stepped forwards. "The name is Xander Harris, by the way. I don't think we've been introduced. This is Willow, resident witch and know-it-all, you've met Spike our neutered vampire, and this is Buffy, resident Vampire Slayer. Welcome to the Hellmouth."

"So, what is a Hellmouth?" Logan asked carefully, cupping a mug of coffee between his hands.

"Exactly what it says. It's like, a nexus for bad stuff to come through from the hells. The guy you just tried to cream, his name is Spike. Aka "William the Bloody"." Willow explained, sitting down at the table in Buffy's mom's house.

As one, they all turned and looked out the window to where the blonde vampire was standing with a sullen expression on his face. The collar of his black leather coat was turned up against the rain and he peered in through the open window, which was about as close as either Logan was willing to let him.

Logan closed his eyes for a minute and then nodded. Oh yeah. He knew that name alright.

"He looks different with his hair like that. He used to look more like a Nancy boy." He growled, shifting at the uncomfortable look that Jubilee sent him.

"You knew him?"

"Yeah. Long time ago, kid. In Canada. Soulless bastard. Running around with that Angelus. Heard that bub got himself a soul, though."

"He did." Buffy sat down with a thump. "Care to introduce yourself?"

"The name is Logan. This is Jubilee. Sorry about earlier…kinda got a bit sidetracked."

Jubilee snorted from her place at the end of the table, rubbing her thumb against the side of the coffee mug. "Admit it, Logan, you went feral."

Logan grunted and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Fine, kid, whatever. What's a young thing like you doing hanging around with that piece of filth, anyway?"

"It's…" Buffy let out a deep sigh and shrugged, "it's complicated. And long. When's Giles coming?"

"Said he'd be here in a few minutes. He's bringing Anya." Xander murmured glumly. Jubilee's eyes narrowed with a glint and she raised an eyebrow at Willow.

"Let me guess, they are dating and just had a big blow out."

Willow nodded happily. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"We know two people who can make a sigh like that. Usually about five minutes before she puts him through the wall for something he said. Twenty minutes later, they are skipping up to one of their rooms holding hands. Makes me wanna puke." Logan admitted giving a stretch.

"I think we are getting a little off subject here."

This Buffy was definitely the leader of the group. Logan decided. Everyone looked to her, and no one seemed to argue either.

"One last question before we get down to it, please." Jubilee asked, holding her hand up hesitantly. "I don't want to seem like an ignoramus or anything, but since I grew up with the belief that vampires were things from fairytale books-"

"Don't know what kind of books you were read, luv." Spike muttered, grimacing at the flash of lightning that illuminated the sky.

"-why does he have to stay outside?"

Buffy shot Spike a glance. "If I invited him in, which I'm not going to do, he can come in any time he wants. Since I'm _not_ inviting him in, he has to stay out there. If he ever got his teeth back, so to speak, he could waltz in any time he wanted and suck the life out of me. I'd rather he stay outside."

Jubilee nodded in understanding and shifted in the chair to get more comfortable. "That's fine. Just wondering is all. Discuss away."

"Thank you." Buffy muttered testily. This wasn't a great night by all means. She should have been out on patrol ages ago. "Now, what the hell are you?" She ignored the interruption of Giles sidling into the room, scattering pages as he walked, and stared Logan down.

"I'm a mutant. Healing factor, adamantium claws & bones."

"And a kick ass right hook." Jubilee added in a slightly warning tone."

"Mutant?" Giles murmured. "Aaah…right. We don't get many of those around here. We mostly come into contact with the undead."

"Like Billy No Mates over there?" Jubilee pointed to the window.

Spike glared at her, "Don't see many of your friends hanging around you either, luv." He growled. She wasn't intimidated. She'd just stared down a feral wolverine, something which he had missed.

"My friends are back home, bubba, and I'm not the one standing outside the window, in the rain, am I?"

"YES, like Spike. And there are others. Demons. Shadow spawn that walk the earth. Buffy's ultimate destiny is to protect man against these creatures. Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil. Zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day."

"About that –" Logan began, and launched into an explanation about exactly why they were there.

Jubilee suddenly felt like she was at home. It was an odd mix, like getting a lecture from a cross between Jono and Hank…the accent being Jono, and the words were pure Dr. Henry McCoy. She sat back in the chair and relaxed slightly. Buffy listened with half an ear to what the grouchy looking man was saying, and was the only one to spot the slight change of posture as some of the tenseness eased out of the kid. Sheesh, she couldn't have been more than 12 or 13 years old, what was she doing hanging around with a crusty like Logan. And why was she relaxing, anyway? She'd just been told that the things most people's nightmares were made out of were real! Suddenly getting angry for no reason she stood up and snatched her coat. "I'm going on patrol. Tell mom I'll be back later."

"Why don't I go with." Jubilee offered. "I'm not one for big…um…technical discussions like that. I'm more whack'em and bag'em."

Logan was about to protest, but Jubilee gave a slight shake of her head. Buffy looked to Giles for back-up, but the man seemed to brighten slightly.

"That would be wonderful. Perhaps you could join her and get a feel for what we do. Buffy, play nice. Spike, would you like to go with them?"

Jubilee flashed her a smile and blew a big gum bubble, sticking on her shades. From the window, Spike gave a toothy smile. "Think I'll stay here, luv and keep my eye on the wild man."

"Your dumb little girl routine doesn't gel with me, kid." Buffy began when they left the house.  
Jubilee shrugged on her coat. "To be honest, I, like, don't give a damn what doesn't gel with you, blondie." Jubilee countered, falling into easy step with her. "So, what does this patrol normally entail?"

Buffy was about to retort but thought better of it. "Twice around the town, and then for about an hour in the graveyard. Have you got a stake?"

Jubilee shook her head. "No. Why do I-" She thought to herself for a second. "Does all that stuff in the movies actually _work_? The staking'em through the heart, and the holy water and the crosses? Daylight?"

Buffy nodded, rolling her eyes at the enthusiasim. For a split second, it was like having Willow on speed. "Yes. Daylight, crosses, garlic, it all works. Now will you be quiet! You are scaring them away." She so didn't want to be stuck on patrol with a 13 year old brat who didn't know her ass from her elbow.

"Daylight, huh…" Jubilee stopped and thought for a moment, before picking up the pace to catch up with her. "So, what do you do for fun around here, anyway?"

"Did you not hear me about the scaring and the away?"

Jubilee nodded. "Yeah, but, like, you've got this tiny little companion with you this time. She's young, she's sweet, she's like, so virginial it's like manna from heaven, man. So, while you are distracted by this young, juicy little annoyance, they creep up on us from behind and then…" She span around and blasted the first thing she saw, which just happened to be a vampire that she had picked up was following them for the last five minutes. In the bright white flare of her powers, it disintegrated into dust. Jubilee flashed her a trademark grin and lifted her shades. "Like that. My powers are generated by sunlight…they are mostly plasma, but a burst like that will disintegrate most anything anyhow. And the UV base will play hell with the whole goth skin tone they got."

"How…" Buffy blinked the spots away, understanding now why the kid wore the shades. "Mutant thing. Right. But…how did you know there was a vampire following us? How did you know he was a vampire? He could have been an innocent passer-by!"

Jubilee sighed and continued walking down the street, this time making The Slayer trot to catch up. "He was wearing platform shoes, flares and a shirt with a collar you could fly with. And he…felt wrong…smelt wrong…I don't know. I think Wolvie's rubbing off on me. Besides, I'm trouble – he's strife. If he'da been here, it would probably not have worked and the guy would have exploded into a big, fierce brain-eating type thing that would take a nuclear explosion to kill." She shrugged awkwardly at Buffy's stare. "Sorry – it's a theory that some of the guys back home are working on. I attract trouble, he attracts strife."

"Right, so if you find anything weird that has nothing to do with demons an' bastards like William over there, you'll give us a call?" Logan sat back in the chair and waited for a reply.

"Normally, we prefer to handle these things ourselves." Giles pointed out. Logan nodded patiently.

"I know, bub, but it's like this, we got our way, and you have yours. And I'd hate to see you go up against someone like Magneto or Emplate. Magneto uses the very blood in your veins against you – the iron, you see. Any metal, really. He could have the lot of you up a wall in seconds, and it's hard to do a spell, kid, when your jaw is shut and you cant move your hands. Plus, if you kill a mutant, that is killing a human. No matter what those Friends of Humanity bastards say."

Willow shifted uneasily in the chair. In the corner, wedged up against a cupboard, Buffy's mother, Joyce, who had come in unawares and was quickly brought up to speed murmured, "How about a compromise. If they come across a mutant they don't think they can handle, they give you a call? Wouldn't that be easier?"

Logan grudgingly nodded, as did Giles. The rest of the Scoobies had already retired to the sitting room, but Spike had refused to leave his post by the window. He wanted to keep an eye on the guy he thought he had killed decades before. Joyce on the other hand was of two minds about the gruff man sitting at her kitchen table. He looked and felt dangerous, but for some reason, her kitchen felt safer that he was there. The conflict of scents, mingling with Spike's made his nose twitch and so he missed the scent of Buffy and Jubilee returning until they both walked in to the kitchen.

"No big bad around tonight. Hi mom." Buffy opened the fridge and took out a soda. "Jubilee dusted one, and I got two."

Logan accepted a fresh beer from Joyce and Jubilee flopped down in the chair beside him, stretching out on the table lazily. She caught sight of Joyce and straightened.

"Mr. Logan, who is your friend?"

"Joyce, this is my kid, Jubilation Lee, Jubilee, this is Buffy's mom. Say hello, Jubilee."

Jubilee just about managed to refrain from giving him the finger, hating the tone he used and flashed her a disarming smile. "Hello, Mrs…uh…Buffy's mom. Uh, Joyce." She stammered, realising she didn't know the woman's last name. At the window, Spike rolled his eyes.

"If it gets any more saccharine in here I think I'll puke." He muttered.

"Feel free." Buffy announced brightly. "The trash can is by the corner, try not to get any on your shoes."

Joyce ignored their banter and brought the girl a soda. "Our last name is Summers, dear, if that helps."

Jubilee's head snapped over to Logan and he shook his head. "Nah, couldn't be."

"Although…slayer…?"

Buffy's eyes narrowed as the two of them continued with half-sentences.

"Bring back some, get him to run it?"

"What would the odds be?"

"About as much as me going home to find mom sitting at the table with Hank."

"I have to admit, though-"

"Maybe a little around the eyes. Couldn't be though. World wouldn't be that cruel to her."

"Been a cruel bitch to me…"

"Just give him a shout…"

"We agreed, on road trips where neither of us are in mortal danger, _you_ ring him."

There was a steely stare, and Jubilee rolled her eyes theatrically, letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine, give me the damned cell phone. _I'll _ring him ya big chicken."

Logan fished in the pocket of his jacket and mutely handed it over. As Joyce opened her mouth, Jubilee held up her hand for silence and put the phone up to her ear.

"Hey, Scott, do you have any relatives in Sunnydale, California?-----No, there's nothing wrong----Of course I know what time it is, it's," She held up her wrist and looked at her watch. "It's 11.45 pm.---oh…it's 2.45am your time...uuuuh, you might as well answer me since you are up now." She held the phone away from her ear and quickly hung up. "Maybe we should phone him in the morning. When he's a little less grumpy. And this time, you can ring him."

Jubilee blinked sleepily at the ceiling, wondering out where the hell she was. There was an interesting stain up there, and instead of working out where she was, she put her head to working out just exactly what could have made it. Right now, she was sticking with a really shaken up bottle of pop. Hopefully cherry flavour. Why'd she always let Logan pick the motels…speaking of which…she lifted her head slightly, hearing the rumble of his snores through the open connecting door.

Yup, big hairy guy was flaked out on the bed, snoring his head off. They'd headed back to the motel soon after Scott had tried to yell her ear off, and after warning her not to open the door to anyone, Logan had headed off to find the bars that only he seemed capable of finding. Sitting up, she spied his clothes sticking out of the trash can and she sighed heavily. Looks like he found a bar alright…but what was the green stuff…? Remembering some of the stories that Buffy had shared on the way she dismissed that thought. She didn't really want to know.

According to her watch, it was now a decent hour back in Westchester, so she slipped into a comfortable set of clothes and out into the car park, leaving a note for Wolverine so he wouldn't worry. There was a nice green area in front of the motel, with benches and bushes so she decided to head over there to make her call. But for a few minutes, she simply sat in the silence, enjoying the sunshine and the few calm moments that she had learned over the past few years to treasure. Closing her eyes, she imagined a wide expanse of sparkling sea in front of her, and as an after thought, added a very cute man with a surf board, towelling himself off in front of her. She opened her eyes again, remembering that she had meant to pester someone else about whatever Lolita was. Later. But for now.

"Xavier Institute for the Criminally Insane. Inmate 361 speaking."

"Hey, Bobster, how's it hanging?"

Bobby smiled and sat down on the telephone seat. "Not too bad, Jubes, not had anyone complain to my face."

Jubilee made a yuck face and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Right…uuh, is Scott around?"

"Mr. Grumpy has gone to the store with his wife." Bobby remarked dryly. "Said something about people forgetting time zones and phoning at ungodly hours?"

Jubilee snickered. "Guilty as charged. He's lucky it wasn't Logan that called. Some of the things he said to me would have earned him a belt when he got home. Actually, it might just earn him a belt from me, while I'm at it. Any hooo…"

"So, how's Sunnydale? As boring as it sounds?"

Jubilee snorted and looked down at her nails, wondering for a moment if she'd left any vampire dust beneath her nails.

"Oh, you know, same old same old. Got here, booked into a motel, went to the only nightclub in the place…had a drink, watched Logan go Feral and try to tear the throat out of a guy who turned out to be a Billy Idol wannabe vampire that Logan knows from waay back, met The Slayer, went on patrol, dusted a vampire. You know, the normal stuff."

Across the country, Bobby, taking a sip of his coffee sucked in a sharp breath and began to choke on the lungful of hot coffee. "YOU WHAT'D A WHAT!" he wheezed, brushing the hot liquid from his t-shirt.

"I dusted – meaning killed, a vampire. It turns out that the things the Prof. was hearing about going bump in the night, _actually_ went bump in the night down here. Apparently the whole town is built on something called a HellMouth – does exactly what it says on the tin. Theres a girl called The Slayer whose birthright, or divine calling or whatever, is to basically go on a killing spree every night and take the vampires and other oogie boogies out. Kinda neat, huh!" She finished brightly.

For the first time ever, Bobby found himself believing that he was in his twenties, and not the kid at heart he had always professed to be.

"Jubilee…you aren't pulling my leg, are you?" He asked rhetorically.

"Nope, 'fraid not. Just be thankful that I did it the easy, mutant way. She gets a stake and stabs'em through the heart. It's like, so cool. Although she calls her stake Mr. Pointy. She has serious issues."

"Jubes…you…I…hang on, Scott's coming. You can explain it all to him." There was a muffled sound of the phone being handed over and Bobby declaring not quietly "I think she's on something. She's talking about Vampires, and Slayers and dusting people and something called Mr. Pointy…"

"Jubilee?" Scott voice was soothing and confused. And slightly concerned. "Is everything ok? Bobby was saying something about Vampires."

"Everything is fine, Scott. We got here and started looking around." Jubilee snapped into 'reporting to boss who you really pissed off the last time you were talking to him' mode and kept things to the point. "I learned a lot last night. Apparently Sunnydale is built on a Hellmouth. Or The Hellmouth. The people we were talking to didn't really specify. It turns out that there are a group of people here that are focused on stopping demons and vampires that seem to congregate around it, as well as something that The Slayer called the 'big bad'. And before you say anything, I have met a vampire, actually killed one, and no, I am not on any psychotropic drugs." Jubilee waited for Scott to go mental. Instead, he went quiet.

"Really Vampires?"

"Yes, Scott. Really Vampires. And I'm pretty sure that something that goes bump in the night went bump into Logan last night when he went out to a bar. When I woke up this morning, his clothes were in the bin and from what I could see, something with green blood bled all over him. And Vampires have red blood, so it couldn't have been one of them. Logan made some kind of a deal last night with what seems to be the intellectual leader of the group whereby they contact us if they meet up with a mutant that's too much for them to handle alone. You'll have to get the full details from him, I'm afraid. I had gone on patrol with the brawn of the operation. She's nice. You'd hate her, though. Too much…uh….whassa word…" she thought for a moment, snapping her fingers, "back talk."

"Is it safe for you to stay there for another day or so?" Scott asked, and she could hear the frown in his voice.

"I'm pretty sure it is. My powers take care of the night walkers, and Logan's claws'll come in pretty handy with the other things. It's daylight now, so everything's crawled back under it's rocks." Mentally she added, 'at least I hope so.'

"Ooh, and by the way, do you have any relatives called Summers living in Sunnydale? Mom's Joyce, daughter's Buffy. Dad's…uhmmm, Hank, I think. Not _the_ Hank, obviously. Some kind of big shot lawyer in LA…Scott…Scott? You with me buddy? Helooooo?"

In Westchester, Scott stared at the receiver in his hand, a frown on his face and his other hand on his forehead. "I think you are right, Bobby. She has to be on something…Jubilee, just because someone has the last name as me, it doesn't mean that they have to be related.----No, not even if she does show weird powers and calls herself The Slayer----Just because Cable.---ok, and Strife, I will give you that one.----Alex, yes, he is my ----what? Oh, Vulcan---Ok, ok, ok, I will give you Corsair too. Jubilee…Are you sure you haven't taken----not even had breakfast yet, huh."

Jean watched him speak with an amused smile on her face. She could hear through their telepathic link, Jubilee's side of the conversation, and she had to admit, she too was dubious about the girl's truthfulness on her sugar intake. "Get Logan to phone me when he gets up---what do you mean you flipped a coin and he won't do it!"

Jean hurriedly ducked out of the room, her hand clasped over her mouth to muffle her howl of laughter. "Just…ring me later---Yes, Jubilee, I forgive you for ringing at 2am last night---I understand, caught up in the moment and all that…do me a favour, ring me back when you've had some sugar, ok. Things might make more sense then."

He placed the receiver back on its cradle with deliberate slowness and then looked up at the ceiling, a look of martyrdom on his face. "Gods preserve me from Sugarless Jubilee's and Annoying Wolverines."

"Are you sure you want to go on patrol with me?" Buffy asked carefully. Logan nodded, following her down the dark, deserted street.

"Yeah, kid. I want to go on patrol with you. I met some real deadbeats last night, and I think I can handle myself on your turf." There was a growl in his voice. He'd had to throw out his favourite jacket last night. And if he met another guy with the same green blood, he'd be sure not to make the same mistake twice. "The kid'll stay where we left her though, if you don't mind. I let her go last night 'cos she'd only have been bugging the hell out of that Giles fella. And she only attracts trouble, usually that she can get herself out of. I don't want her with me on unknown territory…not when I already got someone as back-up. If I bring her back with so much as a scratch this time, my ass'll be on a plate."

Buffy chuckled at the mental picture, keeping a firm grip on the stake in her hand. "Why, what happened to her?" The noise in the darkness was only a rat, and both of them relaxed again.

"I guess you would say she got staked through the heart with a pool cue by a Hells Angel…human form, so to speak." Logan murmured, his sensitive ears straining to hear anything out of the ordinary in the darkness. "Took her a long time to get over it. Spent nearly two months in hospital, not to mention bein' an invalid at home…going back to school…she's been off proper Team Action for months now. This is her first mission since…it happened."

"And where were you when she was getting staked?" Buffy asked. She was wondering why the guy who obviously seemed slightly over protective of her would let her get injured like that.

"I was lying on the floor in the corner with twelve bullets in my chest, trying to not to drown in my own blood." Logan replied testily. He hated it when people thought he wouldn't take good care of the kid, even more than he hated it when they thought she couldn't take care of herself.

"Pretty good reason." Buffy replied matter of factly. Despite his best efforts, Logan found himself beginning to like the kid. Reminded him of Jubes.

Jubilee watched Spike sitting on the bench out in Joyce's back garden. After a few minutes, Joyce asked her to bring him a coffee.

"Vampires drink? Other than blood, I mean."

Joyce nodded. "Well, Spike does. He really likes some odd things. If the weather got any worse, I'd give him hot chocolate and marshmallows. He likes that. He thinks I don't see him add the bourbon."

Spike looked up at the sound of a door opening. He didn't know why he hung around the place. He should really have been out tailing Buffy, but the new kid, the one hanging around with the Feral…she interested him. He didn't know why the kid hung around with the wild man. And now, here she was, trotting towards him with a cup of coffee. Looking to the window, he could see Buffy's mom give him a friendly wave and he accepted the steaming cup with a small snarl of gratitude.

"You can lose the face, dude, I'm only here because Mrs. Summers asked me to bring it out to you."

"Take a seat kid." Damn! Why did he just ask her to do that? But yet, he half hoped she would sit down. For one thing, she didn't really treat him as bad as some of the other scoobies did.

"Can I ask you a question?" Jubilee piped up after a few minutes quiet contemplation.

"Shoot."

"Why does Wolvie hate you so much – besides you being a creature of the night thing. I've known him to be friends with some pretty dark dudes."

William thought back for a few moments before replying, "I think I ate one of his friends. Pretty sure it was him, anyhow. I don't think he appreciated the whole sucking thing."

"Aha." Jubilee accepted this as something normal and kept swinging her legs.

"That doesn't bother you? The whole, I could kill you where you stand thing?"

Jubilee shook her head and blew a huge gum bubble. "Nope. I could fry you where you sit before you even got a chance to bare your pointies. Besides, according to both you and the guys inside, you've been neutered."

William scowled. He hated that word. It made him feel so…impotent.

"Don't like that, huh? Would you prefer impotent?"

That made him shoot her a dark stare, and she chuckled at his expression. "Chill, dark dude, Chill. What was that Angelus guy like, anyhow. Before he turned good?"

"Well, he was a lot like me…but more…uh…put it like this - we like to talk big, vampires do. _I'm going to destroy the world._ That's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I like this world. You've got – the dog racing, Manchester United, and you've got people: billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision, with a real passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester bloody Square. That was Angel. One mean mother."

They say for another while in companionable silence before Jubilee asked a question that startled him.

"Do vampires feel pain?"

William thought for a moment. "Yeah, tyke, we do. If you prick us, we doth bleed and all that crap." He flicked away his cigarette butt and lit up another.

"Have you ever been half-staked? I mean, someone missed your heart?"

What little colour that was in his face drained away and he looked at her with unmistaken hatred. "Yeah. What of it."

"Just wondering is all…if it hurts as much as it does a human."

"Don't know, luv. Never had anyone to compare with." He muttered with his teeth gritted. If the kid kept talking like that, he would bite her, no matter the pain. Or maybe snap her neck. That would be nice.

"'k."

With that, she hopped off the table and sauntered across the grass towards the back door, seemingly unaware of the death glare being directed at her back. She stopped and turned, walking back.

"Can I ask you another question, one totally not vampire, slaying, pain or demon orientated?"

"Kid, you are on your last leg, so it had better not be. What?" He asked flatly.

"What's a Lolita thing?"

When Logan returned with Buffy, they were both covered in mud, dust and what looked like chicken feathers. Logan's blood was singing with happiness. He'd gone on a hunt that was worthy of him. None of this deer, or mountain lion crap. A proper hunt with a half-decent fight at the end of it. Buffy was looking at him with awe. She'd never seen anyone fight a Lothar Demon that well, that hard, or with that kind of an 'I'm really enjoying myself' smile on his face. The smile faded somewhat when he saw Jubilee's dark look, the folded arms and set jaw screaming that she was not happy. Not happy whatsoever.

"She asked Spike something and he wouldn't explain it to her." Joyce advised him quietly. "She has been sulking since then. I don't know what she asked him, but he looked at her and started laughing. Then he asked her a question and the next thing we knew, she had knocked him out. He hasn't come too yet."

Buffy's admiration of the little girl went up another notch as did her eyebrow. "_She_ knocked _Spike_ out?"

"Darlin', what's wrong? What did the fang face say to you?"

"Nuthin', Wolvie. Nuthin'. When are we going home." She pouted, arms still crossed. When he went to put his hand on her shoulder, she deftly moved away, her body language screaming, don't touch me.

"In a day or so. I just have a few more things I need to hash out with Giles, an' I need to get on the phone to talk to Chuck. What's wrong?"

"I told you! Nothing! I'm going back to the motel. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Jubes, just open the door. Please." Logan rested his forehead against the crappy cheap plywood that served as a door between the two rooms. There was no answer, but he could smell her scent. She was in there, upset. And he was pretty sure she was still awake. Damn, what did that pointy haired git say to her. When they went to check up on him after Jubilee had left, he'd already woken up and fled the scene. Now all he knew was that she was upset and she wouldn't let him help her. An inch of adamantium blade slid out of his hand as he considered just jamming it in the lock and opening the door. But somehow, he knew that wouldn't be the best idea. Kid was getting older, and starting to value her privacy.

"I'm here, waiting to talk to you whenever you are ready sweetheart. I've already talked to Chuck, and we're leaving in the morning. Whenever you are ready…"

The journey back to the airport was a very quiet affair. Jubilee hadn't said a word to him other than good morning, and now she sat quietly in the passenger seat of the convertible, her eyes fixed on the road. Any attempt he made for conversation failed, as did their spontaneous trip to see the World's Largest Donut in all its glory. She had smiled politely and gone back to the car without her usual pleading to stay a little bit longer, or to buy her a souvenir.

Scott noticed her quietness when they walked in the door from the airport, and she had quietly taken her bags upstairs to unpack.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and his level of concern grew when Logan turned to face him with a grim look on his face.

"I don't know, Cyke. Kid was having a great time. Then I came back from a patrol and she'd had some kind of conversation with the neutered vampire and decked him. Knocked him out for the best part of three hours from what I've been told. She's been like that ever since. She won't talk. Not just about that – shit, Cyke, I bought her a new i-pod at the airport and all she said was 'thanks, you shouldn't have. What would people say.'" He blew out a frustrated breath. "I don't know what's going on in her head."

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. As was dinner the next night, and the night after that, and Jubilee kept herself scarce between them. Charles could feel the tension rolling from both Logan and Scott, and Jubilee was picking over her meal with little appetite. Logan seemed preoccupied, deep in thought, and he too picked over his steak, moving it around the plate absently with his fork which was suddenly dropped as a thought rushed through his head.

"This is all over that bloody Lolita thing, isn't it?!" He roared across the table at Jubilee, who jumped a mile at the sudden shout in the relative silence.

"So what if it is?" she shouted back, throwing her own fork down.

Jean and Scott looked at the Professor in confusion and then back to the unscripted dinner theatre. At the word Lolita, Charles's face darkened, and Hank's ears perked up in shock.

"That pointy toothed asshole told you, huh!" Logan stood up and threw his napkin down. "I'm going back to that town and I'm gonna rip him a new- What the hell did he say to you, anyhow?"

"Nothing that everybody else probably hasn't said to you, Logan. Why the hell didn't you tell me that that's what people think about us when we go away together? For god's sake Logan, how many times have people said things like that to you?"

"It's nothing to-"

"IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ME YOU LUMMOX!" Jubilee sprang to her feet and braced her hands on the table as she shouted at him. "You think I don't want to know when people are making…suggestions like that behind my back? Sayin' that you'd have the…you'd never! EVER! Do anything like that to me…I hate the thought that someone would even _think_ that you'd ever…And if anyone ever says anything like that to you, you tell me and _I'll_ set them straight. Christ! How many of the friends we met have thought that you were….were…were…I CAN'T EVEN SAY IT!"

Beside Hank, Bobby was sitting with his fork still stuck in his mouth. Removing it quietly, he nudged his friend. "Hank, what's a Lolita thing?..."

Beside Hank, Remy's shoulders shook as he tried to suppress his laughter, while Rogue and Storm looked respectively confused and horrified.

"Robert, I will explain later."

"With hand puppets." Remy added, exploding into laughter. Still standing with her arms braced on the table, Jubilee's angry gaze swung around to fix on him. "Laugh again, Gumbo and you will be laughing out the other side of your head. How would you like it if someone kept suggesting to you that you were sleeping with a thirteen year old kid, huh? Every time you left the building. Every time we went to the store? Would you be laughing then?" Remy sobered immediately at the thought. No, he really would not like that. Not like that at all.

"Jubes, darlin' it doesn't matter. Not to me." Logan tried to soothe her with no luck.

"It matters to me, Logan." The anger left her as soon as quickly as it had arrived and she straightened to look him in the eye. "What if we were in some hick town, and someone took it upon themselves to intervene. To call the cops and tell them that there's this guy in a motel with this kid who obviously isn't his. God only knows what he's doing to her. And they come storming down the door. A situation like that is going to go down one of two ways. Either you explode like you did on Spike and end up hurting someone who was just trying to do some good, or you end up in jail trying to explain why you have a thirteen year old girl who is supposed to be going to school in Massachusetts with you, who isn't your sister, niece, cousin, daughter or ward. And why you transported her across State Lines. That's a whole mess of trouble I'm not going to get you in, Logan. I don't think we should go on any more Road Trips. Not out of state, anyhow."

Logan sat down with a thump. He had never thought of it that way. And neither had Scott or the Professor, from the looks of their faces.

"I'm sorry, Prof. It never occurred to me how much trouble that I could get you in haring off with Wolvie like that. I'll head back to Frosts' tomorrow." She picked up her napkin from where it had fallen and folded it carefully, putting it beside her plate before walking out of the room.


	4. Posting Bail

Remy leant against the frame of the door leading into the cells. Behind his dark sunglasses, his burning orbs trailed down the long line of deadbeats, wino's, hookers and the usual assorment of thieves and muggers until he found what he was looking for.

Jubilee absently swung her legs from her perch on the high bench. Beside her, lying out on the bench, Logan had his jacket bunched under his head and his arm draped across his face, Jubilee's bright yellow duster coat as his blanket, which was now suspiciously stained green. Rolling his eyes, Remy walked down to them, ignoring the cat calls and beckoning hands until he reached them.

"Bonjour my friends. Either of you care to tell me exactly what brought you here?"

"Can we stick with no?" Jubilee asked, flicking her eyes down to Logan. "He isn't going to wake up any time soon." She sighed heavily and stuck her sunglasses onto the top of her head. "It really wasn't our fault this time."

"Aha."

"Seriously. And neither of us were badly hurt…"

"Aha."

"Just some cuts and scrapes. Mumblemumblemumble"

"I didn't quite catch that petit."

"Mumble mumble mumbele."

"Pardon?"

"And Logan got a tentacle through his stomach." Jubilee hopped up exasperatedly and twitched the coat back, showing the jagged rip in both it and through Logan's clothes. Beneath the tears, shiny red skin showed that Logan had almost finished healing.

"What happened to your coat?" Remy asked as if he had all the time in the world.

"I found out what it's like to nearly be shish kabobed by a tentacle man." She limped towards the bars. "It was, like, all over before the cops came anyhow. They only stuck us in here because they didn't know what else to do. They can't pin anything on us."

Remy almost laughed at the sight of her holding onto the two bars, her face pressed between them.

"Oui petit. Dey can no pin nothin' on you two but 6000 bucks worth of bail."

Jubilee blinked in surprise. "But we didn't do _anything_!"

"Suspicious behaviour." Remy chuckled. "You two really are trouble, you know that?" It wasn't that he found being dragged out of bed by an irate Scott at 4am to come help them amusing. It was more that this wasn't the first time it had happened.

"I'm not trouble." Jubilee pouted and then her face froze. "Is Fearless Leader here?"

"He be signing tings in the front."

"I take it he's not impressed?"

Remy appeared to consider what she said for a few moments. "Impressed? About what? The fact he be dragged out of bed at 4am, much de same as myself to come down to our _local_ police station to bail the two of you out? Or de fact that only three weeks after your initial declaration of no more road trips the two of you take off without a word?"

"We only went down to Harry's." Jubilee muttered defensively. "Not across state lines. And then Wolvie remembered he'd gotten kicked out just before we went to Sunnydale…so he wanted to try out a bar. And he found one. A nicer one than Harry's anyhow. Funny thing, though, he didn't seem to like it. And it had a new cage. I think that's where things started to go wrong."

"Aha."

"Well…you see, there was this guy…and he didn't like the way Wolvie thrashed him. Really thrashed him, Remy. He took off the guys own belt and smacked him a couplea times with it. So he picked up a chair and tried to break it over Wolvie's back when Wolvie was getting drinks for the two of us. Only the chair didn't break." She caught Remy's look and decided to hash over the majority, or rather, all of the fight. "So the end of that story is that Wolvie is barred from that place too. So we decided to hit the road and head back. Only when we were going through the main street Wolvie heard this girls scream so we went to do the whole 'protector of mankind' thing and find out what was happening. So we stopped two muggers and saved this girl from probably a fate worse than death. Heh. They nearly peed themselves when they saw Wolvie's claws. That one never gets old." She lapsed into an amused grin, staring off into the distance of old memories before a pair of snapping fingers brought her back to the present.

"Oh. Sorry, where was I?"

"You'd just saved a woman."

"No, not me. Just Wolvie. I minded the bike." She retorted grumpily.

"And then you came across the thing with tentacles?" Remy asked, beginning to wonder exactly what those two got up to.

"Eeeeh, no. That was when I ran into a Vampire. Funny thing is, I'd seen the guy around here before…just never knew what to look for. Thought he was just a 70's reject. So…I dusted him while Wolvie was walking the lady to her door."

"Then Tentacles?"

"Then explosion. Small one. Not my fault in any way. And if someone from the Zeke's Scrap Yard calls you don't know me. How was I supposed to know he was standing in front of a gas canister?"

"Perhaps by reading the label, petit. Dat is usually how people garner that type of information."

"Sheesh. Whatever." She rolled her eyes and moved back to the bars. "And then you met Tentacle guy?"

"Nope. Then we went down to the lake. It's nice that time of night. Still, you know? Anyhoo, Wolvie caught some fish and we had a little camp fire, and it was so nice…and then we met some guys who thought that intimidating me and him would be fun. It wasn't and the moral of that story is; don't piss off a Wolverine when he's in the middle of telling a WWII story. He went all ape on their asses. It was quite amusing."

"When does the tentacle guy come into this?"

"A couple of hours later. I mean, our little cook out was only at about 10pm."

"Aha."

"Ok, so when we were on our way home, this dude with these tentacles comes waltzing out on the road in front of the bike and sticks one of his tentacles through the front wheel of Wolvie's Hog. Thus Jubilation Lee learned how to fly, straight into a dumpster. When I got up, Wolvie was grumbling about something to do with demons and green blood. So I'm guessin' that Tentacle guy was someone that's followed us from the land of things that go bump in the night. Or rather, had followed us. He is now toast." She fell silent and a small frown appeared on her otherwise unlined face. "Or deep fried calamari. At least, that was what it looked like…after…"

Remy looked down at the sheet of paper in his hand. "Well, dat explains the littering."

"No, that would be me getting out of the dumpster."

"JUBILEE!"

"He totally started it!" Jubilee snapped out in an automatic response as 'Fearless Leader' stalked down the long row of cells. "Er, hi Scott."

"Logan?"

"No, calamari guy. Tried to turn us both into a midnight snack. Completely not our fault. Look." She held up her jacket, showing him the large hole in the tails of the coat and then mutely pointed at Logan who was still out cold. "We were on our way home from a nice quiet cook-out by the lake when he…urr…it…demon boy…" She trailed off under the unrelenting stare from his visor and sighed heavily. "Why do I even try to explain? Half the time you don't believe that it actually happened, and the other half you try pin it on me. I don't go out of my way looking for trouble, you know!" she exclaimed huffily.

"I know, Jubilee, I know. Trouble just has you on speed dial. Come on. Let's get you home."

"What about Wolvie?" Jubilee asked as she was ushered out of the cell.

"Remy'll get him."

Remy looked as if this was news to him, but wordlessly entered the cell and slung the burly Canadian over his shoulder, staggering under the weight and uttering a stream of French that would have made Scott's cheeks blush if he knew what the Cajun was muttering. A steady hand on her shoulder guided her past the other inmates and out into the dawn. Past the now congealing 'calamari-man' that had been parked in the car lot, as no holding room was big enough to store it.

"They dropped the charges." Scott advised her quietly, "when I pointed out that they could have been the ones trying to stop it."

"K." She muttered sleepily, the adrenalin finally beginning to slip away. "Good thing they didn't find out about the truck."

Remy, just catching up, frowned. "Truck? You didn't say anything about a truck?! Jubilee?...Jubilee!…JUBILEE!"

Slung over the Cajun's shoulders, Logan smiled sleepily and let his head drop back down, storing the image of Jubilee running away in his head for later. It had been a good night. Kid definitely needed to come home more often. Place was no fun without her.


	5. Interlude

**I am currently working on a longer chapter, but this one just kind of wrote itself. I hope you like it - it's just intended as a bit of fun, so enjoy!...and as usual, I own nothing!**

Angelo rolled his eyes at _yet another_ of Jubilee's tall stories. Beside him, Monet did her best not to conceal the wide yawn.

"Calamari. Really Jubilee!" She finally uttered in disdain, standing from her spot on the sofa to sweep out of the room. She paused at the doorframe and turned to look at her "Next time you wish to concoct a story, please try for something _less_ believable would you? If we have to listen to your tall tales, they might as well be a bit more…concocted."

Jubilee had been sitting tailor style on the rug in front of the fire and went to stand, forgetting her feet were tucked in around her thighs. "Why you miserable little!" By the time she had gotten unhooked, the pretty Algerian was long gone, and Angelo and Paige had already followed her out the door.

"Jono, you believe me, right?" The bandaged face crinkled and then shook. //sorry, luv, but…calamari? And Logan being out cold for that long? I had enough trouble believing the story about the vampires…// he cocked an eyebrow and followed his team mates out the door.

"Jubilation." Jubilee paused mid stride and looked over at the corner where Emma had been sitting going through paperwork.

"Yes Mzzzz. Frost?" Jubilee asked brightly.

"Was that the truth?"

Jubilee considered giving a smart answer, but settled for nodding. "Yes. Scooter was ultra pissed at having to come to the police station to bail us out."

"You can go." Emma waved her hand in dismissal, making Jubilee's eyes narrow dangerously. The White Queen raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow in challenge, and Jubilee slowly backed down, raising her chin slightly to show that thought this small battle was won, the war sure as hell wasn't over. Emma's chin lowered a hairs breadth in acknowledgement, a miniscule raising of the corners of her lips acknowledging her amusement at the child. And with that, Jubilee was gone in a whirl of colour…funny, now that she thought about it, Jubilee hadn't come home with her trademark yellow jacket…

OOOoooOOO

For the second time that week, Jubilee found herself heading back to Westchester, only this time it was in the back of a mini-van trying not to get elbowed by Everett as he and Angelo held a mock fight practically on her lap. The third time that Everett 's elbow jabbed into her ribs coincided with Angelo's right foot smacking into her stomach. That was manageable, but when his left foot shot out and smashed into her face, she let out a surprised shout of pain and jumped on top of the scrum. Cursing loudly, Sean hurriedly pulled onto the hard shoulder and stopped the van. Turning around and looking at them, he cursed. Angelo was holding Everett in a headlock with one arm, while the other was extended, wrapped around a bloody Jubilee, barely keeping her flailing hands from reaching him.

OOOoooOOO

State Trooper Jim Ellis spotted the van on the hard shoulder and frowned. Two boys were kneeling on the verge, their hands placed behind their heads, fingers laced, staring into the bushes. Behind the van, a well-built red-haired man was holding a young girl around the waist with one arm, the other attempting to cover her mouth. Her legs pumped uselessly in the air as she struggled to get out of his grip.

Pulling on to the hard shoulder behind the car, he hastily called for back up stating a possible hostage situation and hopped out, taking cover behind his own vehicle, taking out his gun.

Loud shouts filled the air from both the man and the girl and Ellis's eyes widened. The man had turned to face him slightly, giving him a good view of the blood covering the girls face and t-shirt, and the man's well-muscled arms.

"Sir, put the girl down and step away with your hands above your head." He shouted, trying to be heard above the yelling and screaming. He was completely ignored, but the girl continued to bellow at the top of her lungs. The red-haired man turned once more so that his back was turned to him. Another patrol car screeched to a stop just behind him, and two officers hopped out, both drawing their weapons and coming to stand beside Ellis where he crouched behind the bonnet of his car.

"They're not listening to me." Ellis muttered. The three of them shared a look and Ellis pointed his gun up into the air, letting off three shots.

OOOoooOOO

Banshee slowly turned around to see two patrol cars and three troopers, all pointing their weapons directly at _him_.

"Lass…what've you gotten me into now." He muttered, still holding her tightly around her middle. Jubilee, however, was oblivious, her rage focusing on the two boys who were now staring at the cops in horror.

"Sir, put the girl down now and step away from the vehicle. Lie down on your front with your hands behind your head." Ellis commanded sternly.

Sean let Jubilee go and put his hands up in the air nervously. "What appears to be the trouble, officer?" he asked carefully, not obeying the second half of the command. The second Jubilee's feet hit the ground, she launched herself at Angelo, tackling him to the ground. She reminded Ellis of a cat pouncing on a mouse, only this mouse tried to fight back.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT HURTS TO HAVE YOUR NOSE BROKEN!" she yelled loudly, grabbing him by the collar of his t-shirt and hauling him up so that his face was next to hers.

Sean let out a heavy sigh and looked at the officers, silently asking permission to intervene. In the meantime, Everett had gotten to his feet and was trying to pull Jubilee off his friend, only to have her hit him as she drew her fist back to hit Angelo. He staggered backwards, caught by one of the troopers. Ellis waded into the fight with Sean, and each man grabbed a fistful of material and pulled.

Sean helped Angelo back to his feet, shaking his head sternly, but Ellis had a harder time of it as Jubilee spat and hissed, still trying to get at the grey-skinned Latino.

"Jubilation, cease! Now!" Sean bellowed, losing his patience. Jubilee's struggles died down and she finally seemed aware of what was going on around her.

"oh…" she murmured quietly, detaching herself from Ellis's grip and moving to stand beside Sean, both cheeks bright red with embarrassment. "sorry."

"Ok. Now, who would like to explain what is going on here." Sergeant Hallows asked firmly. Sean took a deep breath and folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the side of the van.

"I have no idea. Angelo, would you care to explain?"

Angelo shrugged. "I don't know, Senor Cassidy. Chica just went loco on us."

Everett nodded in agreement. "We were just playing in the back seat and then Jubilee jumped Angelo."

Jubilee, however, was flexing her hands, making them into fists. "Those MORONS broke my nose! They were fighting in the back seat. Everett kept hitting me with his elbow, and then Angelo hit me in the stomach and kicked me in the face!" she went to advance on Angelo again, only to be hauled back by the scruff of her neck.

"Easy there, Jubilee." He soothed her, quickly reclaiming his calm. "Boys?"

Angelo blushed slightly, his gaze falling to the dirt. "Well…that might have happened." He admitted slowly.

The three troopers fought to keep a straight face. The feisty girl had made both boys take a hasty step backwards. She couldn't have weighed more than 90 pounds soaking wet. Suddenly, Ellis frowned and looked closer at the girl.

"Hey…don't I know you from somewhere?"

OOOoooOOO

It was dark when the van finally pulled up outside the front door of the institute, and three quiet teenagers clambered slowly out. Jubilee was sore all over, her stomach throbbing and her face aching. Angelo had been yelled at by Sean the moment the troopers had left the scene and was still half-deaf from the experience, wearing a dazed look on his face. Everett knew when not to push his luck. He'd escaped from the whole thing with just a dark look from Sean…though god only knew what their punishment was going to be for fighting in the car.

Jubilee ran up the steps and disappeared inside, brushing past Jean and Paige who had been standing in the doorway waiting for their arrival.

"What happened?" Jean asked carefully, seeing an exhausted Sean slide out of the drivers seat.

"They will be the death of me." Sean muttered, giving Angelo and Everett a slow push towards the door. They had spent a good half hour on the side of the road getting a lecture from a State Trooper about causing actual bodily harm on a girl. "Angelo might have broken Jubilee's nose – by accident…then they fought. I pulled over and tried to get the lass off them…a state trooper pulled up, thought I was trying to kidnap 'em…"

Jean opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it, instead wrapping an arm around the Irishman and leading him inside. "Well, you are here now." She replied comfortingly.

OOOooOOO

"This is definitely broken." Murmured Dr. Henry McCoy, affectionately known as either Hank or Beast. He carefully touched her nose making tears spring up in her eyes.

"Believe me, Beast, I know." He gave a gentle, toothless smile and handed her an ice pack. "Here. This should help." He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and sent her out the doorway.

Scott and Charles were emerging from the war room when they saw her feeling her way down the wall, the ice-pack placed on her upturned head, blocking her vision. Scott stepped out of her way as she breezed past him on her way to the elevator.

"Jubilation. What, may I ask, happened?"

Jubilee turned to face them, not taking the ice pack down. "Angelo, Everett, back seat of the van. They were fighting and I got caught in the cross fire. No biggie. Just a broken nose."

Gentle fingers, drew the ice-pack down and Scott's worried face looked down at her.

"It looks painful. You are going to have two very black eyes."

Jubilee shrugged as he just as gently put it back onto her face. "Professor, I'll bring her back upstairs."

Charles nodded, concealing his smile as Scott guided her towards the elevator. The child really was a magnet for trouble.


End file.
